A 98-year-old woman has received a suspended prison sentence for severe assault after attacking her neighbor with an ax in a stairwell in Jyväskylä. The Central Finland District Court handed down a one-year conditional prison term following the incident that occurred on May 26, 2024. The elderly woman struck the 74-year-old victim in the right forearm with the ax and allegedly threatened to kill her during the confrontation.
According to reports from Keskisuomalainen, the two women were neighbors. The 98-year-old reportedly believed her neighbor had engaged in malicious acts, including breaking into her apartment using a master key, stealing a summer dress, consuming her sleeping pills, and damaging both a waffle iron and pillowcases. The victim denied all these claims, stating the suspicions were unfounded.
Initially, prosecutors sought at least four years of unconditional imprisonment for attempted manslaughter. However, the court ultimately convicted the woman of aggravated assault instead. Before the trial, the parties reached a compensation agreement. The 98-year-old will pay the now 76-year-old victim €1,000 for pain, suffering, and temporary harm, plus €2,500 for emotional distress. She was also ordered to cover over €1,500 in legal costs. The verdict is not yet legally binding.